(2) In administering this section, the Director of the State Department of Energy shall compare projects of similar technology types against each other, take into account the amount of energy saved over the life of the equipment, market or industry sector, expected lifespan of the project compared to the simple payback period, whether the energy savings of the project benefit a party other than the owner and any other factors defined in State Department of Energy rule. The department may certify less than the total cost of any project based on this evaluation. [2011 c.730 §39]